This a small volume with huge concepts. Just because the concepts our large, it doesn’t mean that the book is challenging to understand. On the contrary, Jean writes in a manner that her thoughts come across easily.

In the book, Jean uses Biblical quotes to understand the implications of the Christmas season and reflects on each quote. I like that style of writing, for it helps us understand how someone thinks about a certain topic. I write my own spiritual blog in much the same way.

One of the features about this collection that I like is that at the end of each reflection Jean writes what’s called a:
Roadside Billboard
Roadside Pursuit

and
Roadside Rest Stop

In each of these, she gives us advice on how to handle the challenges of not just the Christmas season but of life in general.

The crossroads part of the title references where we are at a particular time in our lives and how we can deal with with the challenges that this season brings.

As I read the book, I realized how much we share in common. I resonated deeply with each reflection. So many of Jean’s reflections connect to my own belief system. And because of that I wanted to share this collection with my readers. I think many of my followers will connect with this collection as well.

This is a book that I found personally useful. Christmas Crossroads has helped me see that we can choose how we spend our time. Whenever we come to a crossroad in our own lives we can choose which road we take. Whatever we decide, as long as we follow our true spiritual light, we can’t make a wrong choice. Follow God’s path and we will be blessed.

I recommend this book to anyone attempting to calm themselves during this busy holiday season. I believe it will bring you back to center, bring you back to the present moment which is where we should ALWAYS be. As I’m done of saying:

Nothing challenging can happen in the present moment. It’s only when we start to forecast, it’s only when we look to the future wondering where we will be, wondering what will happen that we panic.

Stay in the present moment. That’s where we are safe.

Reading Christmas Crossroads helped me to understand this again and after reading it, I look forward to reading her previous titles available here:Jean Wise on Amazon

Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!
Blessings to you.
—
Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,That our souls our eternal,That we return to light and physical over and over;We then lose all our distressWe then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.

The last of my Theme Months ends with December being the month of light. It may seem counterintuitive to think of December being the month of light upon first blush. However after considering it you may come to understand why I see it that way.

–The Winter Solstice arrives signifying the end of the darkest days of the year and bringing longer daylight hours every day after the Solstice.

–December is also the month we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (The Light of the World.)

I look forward to the Winter Solstice every year because daylight increases by the minute after the Solstice. It’s actually one of my two favorite days of the year. The other is when daylight savings time goes into effect.

There are those who believe Christ was NOT born in December but possibly in October. And the reason we celebrate his birth in December is so that it coordinates with The Winter Solstice. The beginning of light and Christ being the giver of light.

As I promised in October here’s how these three themed months connect. Now bear with me as I make the connection:

DEATH and DYING should NOT be mourned. That event in one’s time should be celebrated. We should be GRATEFUL for having those people in our lives. For it’s a time of returning home, returning to the LIGHT from whence we came.

See how I made the connection there?

Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!
Blessings to you.
—
Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,
That our souls our eternal,
That we return to light and physical over and over;

We then lose all our distress
We then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.

A quick column today:For those living in the United States, I have a television show recommendation. If you haven’t already started watching God Friended Me, I highly recommend you do. You can play catch up OnDemand if you want to follow from the beginning. Of the nine episodes Ihat have aired since the show began, only one was a bit weak. The program is about someone who suddenly receives friend recommendations from a Facebook page called The God Account. The guy that receives the “friends” then sets out to locate them with his best friend who works with him and a young woman.

They are called to help their new friends through whatever challenges they face. One of the threads that flows through the series is the search for who is behind the God Account. To throw things further into flux, the guy receiving the friend requests proclaims to be an atheist and his father is a minister.

I don’t want to say much more if you haven’t seen the series yet, other than it has become must watch TV for me on Sunday nights. It has replaced Once Upon A Time my previous must watch Sunday night show as a favorite.

Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!Blessings to you.—Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,That our souls our eternal,That we return to light and physical over and over;We then lose all our distressWe then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.

Complaining about anything holds you in the place of refusing to receive the things you’ve been asking for. Justifying about anything holds you in the place of refusing to let in the very things that you’ve been asking for. Blaming someone holds you in the place of refusing to let in the things that you’ve been asking for. Feeling guilty, feeling angry, it doesn’t matter what you call it; it is a refusal, not a conscious one. You’re asking; you can’t help but ask. The Universe is yielding; it must yield. It’s a big question, folks: why aren’t you letting it in?

Look for the positive in life. That has been the underlying theme of Wisdom and Life throughout the course of its existence. Whether I’m discussing death and dying, whether it be dealing with a challenge, whatever is on tap, the best thing, the ONLY thing to do if you want to improve your outlook is to stop complaining, stop justifying. Because as Abraham-Hicks so eloquently says in the above quote, doing those things will only bring more challenges into your sphere.

In EVERY challenge that arises, you can find a gift if you look. Focus on the positive, focus on the gift in that rough patch you find yourself in. Stop dwelling on the rough patch and find a way out. Feeling angry, feeling bitter, getting anxious only hurts you. Let go of all the hurt. Release the pain. Let the past go.

You can’t do anything about the past transgressions done to you or that you have done to others so why are you still living in that place? Why are you still letting it haunt you? Ask yourself what am I getting out of this? Is the pain, emotional and physical that I’m experiencing worth the effort I’m putting into it getting me anywhere useful? I’m betting not. Let it all go.

You can do something physical to let it go. My initial thought was to write down all the complaints, all the justifications, all the blames you still carry and tie the notes to a balloon and launch them into the sky. However, launching balloons is not a very healthy thing to do to the environment these days.

So with that being said, perhaps another option is to light a contained fire and one by one drop each note into the fire, pausing each time and giving thanks to each note. When the last piece of paper has been incinerated, put the fire out and walk away, knowing that you are now clean. You now are free from the encumbrances of your past. And make a promise that from here on you will feel the hurt, you will feel the anger, then let it go. Envision dropping the blame, dropping the anger into an imaginary fire.

Your life will feel so much better. You won’t feel that pit in your stomach. When you leave the bitterness behind, when you let the light in, when you think positive instead of letting negativity encircle you, light and positivity will be the first place you look. Do your best to act this way and you’ll soon see everything turn around. You’ll find there IS another way to live your life. That life IS a gift. And you’ll want to start living it with that in mind.

Stop complaining. Let the light in and start living!

Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!Blessings to you.—Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,That our souls our eternal,That we return to light and physical over and over;We then lose all our distressWe then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.

As with October being the Through The Veil Month, now we are into the next of the themed months. November is the Gratitude Month for a number of reasons. As I’ve written previously here, First we have Veteran’s Day, ANOTHER day to thank the veterans and be respectful of them. Were it not for this special select group of people we as Americans wouldn’t be so fortunate to live in this country.

The second important date in November that is significant to gratitude is Thanksgiving. Giving thanks is RIGHT there in THAT word. We should be thankful EVERY day of the year. Seeing as the holiday, Thanksgiving falls in November, that’s the day set aside.

The original intent of the holiday was to honor the native Americans who helped the colonists who arrived here survive the first harsh winter. The colonists gave thanks and “broke bread” with the native Americans who knew what to plant, who knew what to build the structures that would withstand the climate.

We carry that tradition forward today by gathering family and friends together to celebrate the holiday.

Being thankful, being grateful is a big part of who I am and that plays a significant role at Wisdom and Life.as can be seen from the following link:Being Grateful

So combining all of this together you can certainly see how November is seen by many as The Gratitude Month.

Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!Blessings to you.—Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,That our souls our eternal,That we return to light and physical over and over;We then lose all our distressWe then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.

Being creative, being a writer is who I’ve always been. As long as I COULD write, I’ve been writing. Novels, novellas, short stories. I have a plethora of them, In the early to mid 1990s I began to see some success, having been been published sporadically in the small press. Once you get a taste of that success it spurs you focus is on reaching for greater goals.

One of the questions that people ask isWould you do what you’re doing if you didn’t reap abundance from it?

I’ve been writing for well over forty years. So I guess the answer to that question is yes. Abundance doesn’t always have to be financial however. But I HAVE been writing without financial abundance for sometime now. That’s all about to change. After years of doing my best to find a greater market for the writing I do, I have finally captured my leprechaun. In November 2018, I will see two books get published simultaneously.

Click the above title to view it on Amazon.Cover design by Chris Dobbins

This bookis a collection of short stories I wrote in the late 1980s to mid 1990s. The other book is essays on death and dying and my impression about what happens to us after we pass. That book is titled:

Click the above title to view it on Amazon.Cover design by Chris Dobbins

To purchase each book, simply click the title link for each book.

This was originally scheduled to happen last year but as with all tentative publication dates it was delayed. I’m so excited for this to happen. It’s been a long time coming and a lifelong dream. Isn’t it every writer’s goal to be published? If not, then maybe you should reconsider writing. Robert Heinlein said it best with his rules of writing:Rule One: You Must Write. …

Rule Two: Finish What You Start. …Rule Three: You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order. …Rule Four: You Must Put Your Story on the Market. …Rule Five: You Must Keep it on the Market until it has Sold. …Rule Six: Start Working on Something Else.

One of the most important factors that lead to this is that I didn’t give up, that I didn’t let anyone stand in my way. There have been people in my life who have dissuaded me. Telling me:No! You can’t do that. Telling me no is probably the greatest motivator someone can give me. It provides the EXACT opposite of the original intent.

Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!Blessings to you.—Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,That our souls our eternal,That we return to light and physical over and over;We then lose all our distressWe then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.

Even when I’m alone I have real good company — dreams and imaginations and pretendings. I like to be alone now and then, just to think over things and taste them.

IM MontgomeryAnne’s House of Dreams

Writers, musicians and all types of artists can probably relate to Montgomery’s above quote.–Alone is when my creativity prospers.–Alone is when I spend my most creative time. When I write, when I’m out with my camera.–Alone is when I edit both my photography and my written word.

As IM Montgomery says:Even when I’m alone I have real good companyINFPs and introverts are imagination focused. They have a deep imagination. They love the fantastic. Being focused on imagination, I clearly understand Montgomery and I believe she falls on the INFP/J introvert scale, just by reading the above quote.

Like, Montgomery, I’m also seldom lonely. As I’ve mentioned at Wisdom and Life several times over, there is a vast difference from being alone and feeling lonely. Being an INFP as can be seen from my blog, I need down time after spending a day with people, especially extroverts. Having time to decompress is important for the introvert/INFP personality. It’s how we survive. Even when we are out with friends and family, we can shut down. The last thing an introvert/INFP wants to hear is:Why are you so quiet?

Being quiet in the face of noise is how we cope. Sometimes we are quiet because as artists, we are formulating new plotlines, new topics to write about for that weekly column, a new place to go with our cameras or paint with our canvas and easel

Or we may just need to decompress when we can. So if you know your friend or family member is on the introvert scale, be mindful when you ask that question. It may create more tension. Your friend or family may shut down further or could even lash out and say something they don’t really mean. Not all artists are introverts and not all introverts are artists, however there is a large contingent of introverts who fall into creative careers. It’s because art is created alone and art can be a healthy release.

Writing helped me release the negative energy I had. And because I went through so much growing up, my fiction turned dark. As I went back through my old writings however, I also saw a shard of light shining through the darkness. Most of my dark fiction ended on a positive note. Even though what I went through as a child, I somehow instinctively knew that life would get better. I see that more now as I delved back into the dark fiction I wrote some thirty plus years ago. I believe this blog, Wisdom and Life is a natural outgrowth of my dark fiction years.

As I’ve also said here countless times, I no longer feel the need to write dark fiction, because I came through that period and I now live my life in the light. I see life as a gift. I see there is always a way out. I’ve found another way to thrive. My spirituality and my faith are the gift that helped me. I wouldn’t be where I am today were it not for that gift. And speaking of gifts:We all have them. Gifts, that is.

This blog has been a gift for me and even though I take breaks from it now and then, I can’t imagine leaving it entirely. It is completely antithetical to the fiction I wrote when I was writing fiction. That’s because I’m in a different place as I said above. I learned that everything happens for a reason and that my faith has helped me realize that God is always there. God is the guiding force in my life now. My faith, my spirituality is the guiding force in my life.

What about you?

Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!Blessings to you.—Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,That our souls our eternal,That we return to light and physical over and over;We then lose all our distressWe then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.

Turns out my muse was tuned in yesterday while I attended church. I realized while listening to the topic of our service:Through The Veil that the last three months of the year have themes:–October equals Through The Veil
–November equals Gratitude–December equals light

If you think about these three thematic months, you can see a connection I will mke in December with a column that ties them all together. First, let’s look at Through The Veil.

Why do I see October as Through The Veil Month?

Every religious tradition as October as the month when the line between the physical world and the spiritual world is at its thinnest, meaning that this is the time of year when the two worlds find it easiest to communicate with each other. Here is some of what I discovered at service yesterday:1. We dress in costume to confuse spirits that wish to do us harm.2. We light jack o lanterns to ward off the spirits that wish to do us harm. Those spirits don’t like light.

Western traditional Halloween has its roots in Pagan tradition. I KNEW THAT. What I didn’t know is THAT PAGAN tradition was born from a Gaelic holiday called Samhain. As with each of these customs, Samhain also tells us that this is the time when the physical and the spiritual collide and combine, making it easy to communicate and witness the other world. It’s a time when angels, sprites, and fair folk are able to cross over.

It’s also a time when the line between those we love who have passed find it easier to communicate. Halloween has always been a time that in my deep consciousness, the one that grew up intimidated by the Catholic tradition of Hell has feared. And if I’m being completely honest, there remains that fear. However, as I have matured in my worldview, as my belief system has changed through the course of this my latest incarnation, I have come to see the world of my faith in a different light. I see this month now, more as a time of year when life and death is more transitory, more fluid. That there is a line that is more open to us, if we choose to see it. I’ve never seen death as a bad thing anyway. It’s just one more travel we all have to take. And I certainly don’t believe it is a permanent state. It isn’t static. Death is just a transition. It is just a sleep, a resting period. Death is a place we go to review our previous life and ready ourselves for our next incarnation. This time of year, October shows us that those who have passed over are NEVER completely gone. Let those who have passed before you, those who shared a connection with you when in the physical embrace you. Embrace this season as it only comes along once a year.

Love never dies.

God/Your Higher Power/The Universe isn’t cruel enough to rip someone out of arms permanently. And this time of year is that proof. Find your own proof and look through the veil.

Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!Blessings to you.—Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,That our souls our eternal,That we return to light and physical over and over;

We then lose all our distressWe then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.

Your spiritual self was born in a dream, and when you dream you are returning home. Your natural self is at home where everything is both a physical fact and a poetic metaphor. When you dream, you are returning to the home, the very womb of your spirit and a world that speaks the language of your soul.

Affiliate links here:I’m an Amazon Associate. If you purchase anything through Wisdom and Life, please use the Amazon Associate link above, you’ll be directed to my affiliate link.

Each column that has an Amazon link will also work.

Let me speak first on the title of this book. When Oprah asked Thomas Moore about creating a religion of one’s own, his answer connected with my own experience. He said:The way you create your own religion is by picking and choosing from the world religions and melding them into your own life. (A paraphrase, because I didn’t pay attention to the exact words Moore used.) This is EXACTLY how I created my own worldview.

Oprah Winfrey had Thomas Moore on Super Soul Sunday. The above quote from his latest book resonated deeply with me. Pay attention to a few key phrases in the quote.–Your spiritual self was born in a dream.–When you dream, you are returning to the home, the very womb of your spirit and a world that speaks the language of your soul.

You know that dreams have played a role at Wisdom and Life in previous columns. Should you need a reminder:Dreams at Wisdom and Life

If I take the first sentence from this passage apart I can see remnants from Journey of Souls. That book played a huge role in my always developing religion as can be seen from the link below:Journey of Souls at Wisdom and LifeJourney of Souls is a book of case studies from people who recall what occurs before birth and after death. In that transitional space you are greeted by those who have passed before you and by teachers/masters who are there to guide you into the next life you choose. Those people in your soul group who passed before you wait to be reunited to teach you what you could have done differently in your previous life you have just woken from.

Your life is born in a dream and if you take this as an analogy, then you can clearly see why I connected with this quote from A Religion of One’s Own. Death is seen by some as a mere sleep and what do you do in sleep but dream? There are those who believe that your dream life is your TRUE life and the waking world is the fantasy. What if when you’re in transition, the place between lives is the real life? Your NEXT life IS created in in your life between lives in a place (according to Journey of Souls) called Transition Hall:Here is where we choose our next life. That next life will be a result of how we performed in our previous life. In other words, if we came upon a challenge in a previous life and we didn’t make the connection and make the necessary change then we will come upon the same challenge again this new life. We keep finding the same challenges until we make the correct change and move forward.From Soul Groups at Wisdom and Life

Since that’s the case, so is your next spiritual life. As I’ve mentioned before here as well, the ONLY way to reach those who have passed is through dreams.Dreams of those who have passed

If those who have passed can only reach us through dreams, perhaps that is where we are most at home. What if that place between Life, death and dreams is our real home as Thomas Moore’s quote seems to suggest?

Journey of Souls continues to have an impact on my spiritual life as can be seen from this column. I highly recommend finding a copy of this book and reading it. I imagine because you’re a follower of Wisdom and Life, some of you will come away with a deeper knowledge and more peace that life does NOT end with each passing.

As Deepak Chopra said in a recent episode of Expedition Unknown:Everything recycles including plastic. Matter recycles. Energy recycles. Information recycles. Why should consciousness be the only exception?

Once you realize that life is eternal,That our souls our eternal,That we return to light and physical over and over;We then lose all our distressWe then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.

Many around you want to point out “reality” to you. They say, “Face the facts. Look at what-is.” And we say to you, if you are able to see only what-is—then, by Law of Attraction, you will create only more of what-is… You must be able to put your thoughts beyond what-is in order to attract something different or something more.

Imagining what you want and staying focused on reaching that goal is an important aspect of creating the life you want. Reality is what we make it. If you want a better reality, it is critical that you start imagining a better place. Those who say:Face Reality are most likely those who have not been able to do create the life THEY WANTED. And they may be angry because you are doing your best TO create the life you want. They may wish they had the chutzpah to follow their own bliss and not pay attention to those who told them:No.

I’ve actually written about this topic previously:Reality at Wisdom and Life. Read the first three columns and you’ll get a feel for my take on what reality means to me.

Some may feel they are helping you from making a financial blunder. They will say they are looking out for your best interest. But only YOU know what’s in YOUR best interest. If we want to live a happy life, then we MUST pursue our life’s dream. Since we are discussing reality, I would be remiss in not mentioning Einstein.

I’ve asked my readers before what Einstein has to do with Spirituality which is the overriding topic of this entire blog. Before becoming familiar with Einstein, I would have said that science and spirituality can not coexist. Now, however, I’ve had to rethink that opinion.

Carl Sagan is another example of how my opinion has changed. You only have to click his name to see how spirituality and science CAN coexist. Sagan is the first scientist that I discovered who had a antithetical view that science and religion couldn’t cohabitate. Read my column about the book and movie Contact at Wisdom and Life to have a deeper understanding of what I’m referring to.

Back on topic, Abraham Hicks quote above is reminiscent of parental pressure, my own topic at Wisdom and Life. We have to let our children make their own decisions with SOME input. If they are adamant about pursuing something, it is our responsibility as their parents to support them. Our reality is different from THEIR reality. Let’s twist this on its side.

What if your child said the same thing to you:Face the facts. I’m listening to your suggestions, but I’ve decided that I’m going to follow my bliss. How would YOU react? Consider for a moment the way you chose to suggest to your child that they listen to YOU. One of you has to give in if you want to maintain a healthy relationship moving forward. Why not give your child an option. If they are an artist and want to pursue art, give them an absolute time frame to complete an agreed upon goal, whether it is selling something, whether it is completing a project, whatever it may be if you work together you will find everyone will live a more harmonious life. That way you can both create your OWN reality.That way you can both face your OWN reality.

Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!Blessings to you.—Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,That our souls our eternal,That we return to light and physical over and over;We then lose all our distressWe then lose all our fear of dying. For there truly is no end.